Latitude and magnetic flux dependence of the tilt angle of bipolar regions

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Magnetogram data of 517 bipolar active regions are analyzed to study latitude, magnetic flux, polarity separation dependence of tilt angle of the active regions with well-defined bipolar magnetic configurations. The data were obtained at Huairou Solar Observing Station in Beijing during 1988 to October 2001. By statistical analysis, it is found: (1) The tilt angle (ψ) is a function of the latitude (θ). Our observed result, sinψ=0.5 sin θ, is in good agreement with that obtained by Wang and Sheeley (1991). (2) The tilt angle is a function of the magnetic flux. The tilt angle increases (decreases) with flux increasing when the flux is smaller (larger) than 5×1021 Mx. (3) The tilt angle is a function of the magnetic polarity separation. The tilt angle increases (decreases) with the separation increasing when the separation is smaller (larger) than 8×109 cm. (4) The magnetic flux (φ in 1020 Mx) is correlated to the magnetic polarity separation (d in Mm), following φ20∼d1.15. The result is close to the observed result of Wang and Sheeley (1989), φ20∼d1.3. (5) The tilt fluctuations are independent of the latitude, but depend slightly on the separation, which is similar to the result obtained by Fisher, Fan, and Howard (1995). (6) The distribution function of the ratio of net magnetic flux to total magnetic flux is almost centered around zero net flux. The imbalance of magnetic flux is lower than 10% for 47% of our samples; 31% of active regions are in imbalance of the magnetic flux between 10% and 20%.